Roscoe, OH (Roscoe Village) - (1816 - present canal town abandoned over time but is now a restored historical community)

Classification: historical community

Location: City Of Coshocton, Coshocton County - On N. Whitewoman St. off of Rt. 541 (Chestnut St.)

Roscoe Village is a restored historical community & is considered to be part of the city of Coshocton that was once it's rival. Roscoe was originally called Caldersburg. It was settled by James Calder in 1816. James was a merchant whose business had failed in Coshocton which sits directly on the other side of the Muskingum River. After building his cabin, James had a 24 x 50 log tavern & hotel built on the land & platted Caldersburg with 67 lots. Another brick tavern was built in 1821 & the first business opened in 1825. Caldersburg had a post office from 1825 - 1831. The town's boom hit when the Ohio & Erie canal arrived. Constuction began in 1827 & was completed in 1830. A church & a new post office were built in 1831, the same year the town changed it's name to Roscoe after William Roscoe, a popular English author. The Walhonding Canal was constructed from 1836 - 1842. It stretched northwest to the edge of Coshocton County & connected to the Ohio & Erie Canal at Roscoe. When it was completed Roscoe became one of the most important shipping centers on the entire canal system in Ohio. Many of the townspeople would come out to greet new boat arrivals. In the 1840's Roscoe had 5 dry goods stores, 2 saw mills & flour mills, 2 grocery stores, a grain warehouse, & every other kind of business that a modern towns had in that era. Unfortunately Roscoe lost it's railroad hopes as the city of Coshocton was chosen for a stations on the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad & the PCC & St. Louis Railroad. Roscoe's worst fear came in 1913 when it's canal system was almost totally destroyed in the massive flood that year. The town continued to lose population over the next few decades & the post office was disbanded in 1961. A few years later, Edward & Francis Montgomery started efforts to restore the aging businesses & homes in Roscoe. The Roscoe Village Foundation was formed which did an awesome job restoring the historic district! There's more info on the town's website roscoevillage.com. Although Roscoe is in the city of Coshocton these days, it still has it's own identity & small town charm.